Joe Schmidt’s Monday morning review sessions may have assumed a status of their own, but there was little inclination among Ireland’s players to kickstart the process and trawl through the minutiae of defeat as they departed the Millennium Stadium on Saturday.

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Paul O’Connell and I are in different places now. He’ll get to where I’m at soon, where most things are in a rearview mirror and frustrations are examined from a wide-angled perspective. 

In the foreword of John Giles’s book The Great And The Good, Eamon Dunphy told us: “John is undemonstrative by nature. But his passion for the game is real and deeply felt.”

Cast your mind back to the original Sunday night fear, the realization that you’ve no homework done as the Glenroe opening credits blared from the good sitting room.

Limerick 1-25 Laois 1-19

Thankfully, unlike the farcical officiating at the Etihad, the ref at St James’ Park on Saturday didn’t thoroughly spoil the spectacle for the watching millions, by sending the wrong player off in the opening seconds.

As Costa put us two up within the opening ten minutes, I relaxed and thought "at last". A fast start, taking on shots and, most importantly, not resting on the rather thin cushion of one goal. I then sat back and waited for the avalanche.

Why is anyone surprised? Actually, is anybody surprised anymore?

The longest day and RTÉ make a good start, getting the troops off the beaches and into commentary boxes all over Europe.

Review - Kobo Aura

Ireland threw down the gaunlet to England on the final day of the RBS 6 Nations by routing Scotland at Murrayfield and setting their title rivals a tough target in their tournament closing game down at Twickenham.

Landing Cistercian College Roscrea’s first ever Leinster Schools’ Senior Cup was sweet. Sweeter maybe than an All-Ireland football title to a Kerryman.

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LA LIGA

When the final whistle went at the Stade Louis II in Monaco, Mesut Ozil sank to his knees and buried his face in the turf.

The former World Cup final whistler has been handed a new role as performance director for England’s professional referees.

Winger Jack Conlin’s 51st minute try proved decisive as Royal Belfast Academical Institution collected the Dansk Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup for the 30th time at the Wingspan Stadium yesterday.

With a few days to reflect on events at the Millennium Stadium, I am even stronger in the belief that Ireland’s defeat in Cardiff will serve more purpose in the long run.

Cork 2-20 Limerick 1-13: A blistering 12-minute spell either side of half-time – in which the home outfit hit 1-6 without reply – propelled Cork past the reigning Munster champions to avenge last year’s semi-final defeat.